All Branch Topic (ABT) Continuation Pay for HPSP/USUHS

[militaryPHYS]

BLUF: Has anyone seen any restriction within HPSP or USUHS contracts that precludes concurrent service with BRS continuation pay?

Here is the text from BRS implementation:
d. Obligated Service.
(1) A member who accepts continuation pay and enters into an agreement will serve not
less than 3 years of additional service in the component in which they were serving at the time of
agreement, commencing upon acceptance by the Secretary concerned of the agreement to
continue serving.
(2) This obligated service will run concurrently with any other service obligation, unless
other service obligations incurred specifically preclude concurrent obligations.

I have not been able to find anything within special pays guidance for Medical Corps to say we can't serve BRS time concurrently with our HPSP/USUHS obligations, but just wanted to double check.

i.e. if I still owe >3 years for USUHS, there really is no reason NOT to take continuation pay because it will be paid back concurrently with my USUHS payback and therefore cause no additional active duty service obligation.

Am I tracking on this correctly?

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[Cooperd0g]

There is nothing in HPSP or USUHS that precludes concurrent obligations. If you think about it, all HPSP/USUHS obligations run concurrent with residency obligations, save FTOS, which is consecutive. Additionally there are plenty of USUHS people who have transferred their Post 9/11 GI Bill and incurred a concurrent obligation. Heck, the IP is a concurrent obligation with your payback. As such, you can have the concurrent obligation for BRS.

So yes, I think you are tracking correctly and, assuming you elected BRS, there really is no reason NOT to take the continuation pay.

 

[militaryPHYS]

Free money just doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. Usually in the military if it is too good to be true then that just means you're missing something.

 

[Cooperd0g]

I hear you, but there are very few things that actually spark a consecutive commitment.

More examples:
ROTC/Service Academy + flight training is concurrent.
ROTC/Service Academy + HPSP/USUHS is consecutive.

Everything that has a commitment tells you if it runs concurrent or consecutive. You quoted it saying it is concurrent. And nothing in your USUHS or residency commitment precludes other obligations, consecutive or concurrent.

 

[Mace1370]

Just to piggy back on this thread, I have a question about continuation pay. I have a USUHS (7 year) plus FTOS fellowship (2 year) commitment that I’m currently playing back. It looks like we can take continuation pay at 8 years if I am understanding the Army regs correctly. I should be good to go to take it at 8 years then, correct? I’ll owe 6 years of my training payback at the 8 year mark so I could probably even push the continuation pay to 10 years I would think.

 

[militaryPHYS]

Currently you cannot take continuation pay (CP) until 12 years. The way the program was written allows each service to annually change the year you can take it (between 8 and 12) as well as the multiplier of base pay (2.5x to 13x).

Of course, with all of the downsizing the current status is 12 years and 2.5x. So as of now you cannot take continuation pay until 12 years of service based on your PEBD. Also, even if they did set it at 8 years you can't "push it". You have to say yay or nay by the anniversary date they pick. So for me, my 12 year anniversary will be 01DEC2019. If I don't say yes to CP by that date I lose out on the option forever.

 

[militaryPHYS]

FOLLOW UP:

Response from MC chief's office (BUMED): "...the BRS is not tracked by BUMED, [but] my understanding is the BRS is currently concurrent with HPSP and USUHS; however, for the official answer that has to come from PERS, since BRS is being entered after incurring the HPSP or USUHS obligation, and BRS is managed by PERS. Also, in the future it may be possible the BRS would become consecutive based on the GAO review and discussions of future consecutive obligations."

Response from O6 @ PERS: "...the 4 year obligation for continuation pay under BRS is served CONCURRENT with training and other special pay obligations."

I asked for the supporting documentation that makes this official and have yet to get a response back. Will post as soon (or if) I get them. The key is noting the last line from BUMED regarding possibility of it changing to consecutive in the future. Worst case is I have to pay it back 13 years from now when I am trying to retire.

 

[Cooperd0g]

Hmm, I'm still skeptical. You should ask SecNav. No, no, go right to SecDef.

 

[militaryPHYS]

Trust but verify. Only way to make it in the convoluted system we call MilMed

FYI, even the O6's at each place had to consult outside sources and I have yet to see any instruction which confirms everyone's assumptions to the rules. If you just trust an assumption based only on google-able evidence you're leaving yourself vulnerable to disappointment.